It's a tradition nearly a century in the making, and undoubtedly one of the most recognizable times of the year - Girl Scouts cookies distribution. Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos and Samoas, oh my!
For nearly 100 years The Girl Scouts of the United States of America has instilled business values and of community in this beloved tradition. And while they have walked the walk and talked the talk, they're looking towards a new future ahead of them by encouraging scouts to soon use the internet to sell their cookies. And with the greatest of ease, one will not only be able to order online, but also receive their orders right at their doorstep.
The cookie season program has been an integral component of the non-profit for decades now, not only for its great fund-raising ability but also because it is designed to help troop members develop entrepreneurial skills. From setting goals and devising plans, all the way to product management and people skills, the act of selling and delivering the cookies themselves has encouraged many young women to find great futures in businesses after leaving the scouts. And until now, a sense of competition has outweighed the digital notions. While the organization previously banned all online sales, pitting girl scouts to compete against one another to sell the most cookies by hand, there's a big change brewing in the organization's infrastructure, and this shift towards technology may just have cookies flowing more than ever before.
Having developed the "Digital Cookie", a platform recently approved by the organization for sales, Girl Scouts will be able to sell cookies via a mobile or tablet application, or even via a personal website beginning this January. But the transition is expected to not happen all at once. As troops will have to opt-in to the online selling program for their cookie drives, some troops in your area will still be pushing carts around and greeting you outside of grocery stores with the tasty treats. But this drive towards a more digital presence may just have Girl Scouts setting new records in their cookie sales. The organization expects that as many as half of their scouts, roughly 2 million strong, will begin selling online this January, and each girl has lofty goals in mind.
And while many parents and troop leaders have been outspoken in recent weeks about the change in the traditional ways, this changed towards online sales doesn't only help the company and the consumer; it also helps the girls. By learning how to safely and responsibly navigate the internet and establish their own digital store front, the scouts participating in "Digital Cookie" will be able to boost entrepreneurial skills alongside developing an online savvy that is essential for businesses of today.
But most importantly is that donors will now be able to order their thin mints or their samoas from the privacy of their own home, so cases can be delivered without even a second-glance made at the price. After all, they only come to town once a year... for now.
